The capacity of optical transmission networks is increasing annually by about 40%, so that highly scalable networks have to be set up in order to be able to provide for the transmission of the capacities expected in future, too. In addition to the provision of highly scalable networks for network capacities of hundreds of Gigabit/s, these networks have also to be set up and operated very easily and cost-efficiently.
As the prior art for increasing the channel capacities and for handling such high capacities flexible elastic optical networks with variable channel grid and transmission components such as optical transmitters with variable bit rates, optical receivers with variable bit rates, optical transceivers with variable bit rates, variable optical channels, variable optical bandwidths, variable optical filters, variable optical re-configurable add-drop multiplexers, variable optical cross-connects, and the like are discussed, for example, in the publication of Schiano, Marco, et al., “Lambda switched future photonic network development”, OFC 2012, paper OW4A.4 “and under the terms “Flex Grid” in the publication of N. Sambo, et al. “Lightpath provisioning in wavelength switched optical networks with flexible grid” ECOC2011, paper We.10.P1.96 or “Elastic Optical Network” as described in the EU project, Celtic EO-Net, http://www.celticplus.eu/Projects/Celticprojects/Call7/EO-Net/eonet-default.asp.
The communication system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,606,494 B1 describes general functions of a network architecture, but no highly scalable network architectures e.g. with AWGs (arrayed waveguide gratings).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,007 B2 is another example of a conventional system.